This blog is about family, including those in my family tree, the primary focus, but also the family of faith, the family of community, and ultimately the family of man. It is a journey of discovery: Who they were, What they did (and Why), and When, Where, and How they lived.

Friday, March 30, 2018

In the news, Monday, March 19, 2018

Information from some sites may not be reliable, or may not be vetted.Some sources may require subscription.

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from Center for strategic and foreign policy studiesNon-Governmental Organization (NGO) in Minsk, Belarus

Lukashenka’s recent appointments: in search of efficacyOn 5 March 2018, Siarhei Kavalchuk, publicly little known employee of the Presidential Security Service, became the Minister for Sports and Tourism. This and other appointments have virtually transformed key elements of the Belarusian state apparatus over recent months. The personnel rotated include heads of major TV channels, a major publishing house, a government-controlled public association, two ministries and two special services. Although the reasons for each appointment were multiple and often unique, one can see well-recognisable patterns in play.

“Contrary to the prosperity gospel and popular theology, the Christian life is not necessarily one of blessing and health. Rather, the Christian life is often one of struggles, trials, temptations, and troubles. Yet, there is a promise from God that God’s presence and life will sustain us through the journey of faith. Even more than that, though, there is the hope that God can redeem suffering to further his good purposes in Creation. When facing troubles in this life, Christians should always remember that God did spare his own Son from a life of difficulty and suffering. Yet, those troubles did not have the last word. Out of suffering and death, God opened the way to new life and new creation.”

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from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

Trump opioid plan includes death penalty for traffickers
Embracing the tough penalties favored by global strongmen, President Donald Trump on Monday brandished the death penalty as a fitting punishment for drug traffickers fueling the opioid epidemic. The scourge has torn through the rural and working-class communities that in large numbers voted for Trump. And the president, though he has come under criticism for being slow to unveil his plan, has seized on harsh sentences as key to stopping the plague.